Spare-wheel support.



G. M. WALKER. SPARE WHEEL SUPPORT. APPLICATION msn sEPTzQ, 191s. nENEwED Nov. 22, 1941-7.

Patented Jau. l, MMR

Sneuieaton et' Letters Patent.

Application tiled September :29, ISHS, Serar No. 122.3%. Renewed November 22, 1917. Serial No. BGIB'SEL To nZZ tir/tomyit may concern:

lle it known that l, GEORGE lll. Vitamina, a citizen of the United States, and resident ot Chicago, in the county ot Cook and State oi' lllinois, have invented certain new and nset'nl lmproveinents in Spare-lvlieel Supports, ot 'which the following is a specin ncation.

invention relates to automobiles and has particular reference to, novel means which serve to provide for the mounting of the" automobile spare Wheel, the tail- ,light and the. license bracket.

t. is becoming more and more the general practice, particularly when Wire Wheels are used, to carry an entire sparc. wheel on the rear end of the car. The law requires the carrying of a tail-light and license number plate on the rear end of the car7 'with the plate illuminated. The general practice is to carrj,T the number plate and tail-light on separate. brackets, and very Otten an extra light is required to properly illuminate the number plate; since. the law requires that the number plate must` he visible from the side of the car at a certain angle, it is neeessary to proiect the bracket Well outfrom the car. This necessitates a long bracket, which is generally :litticnit to attach, liable to rattle in service. and to he. knocked off in collisions. rl`he spare Wheel is generally carried hy :i complicated hra'ckct, which does not permit the wheel to he as easily exchanged as is lesirahle in case ot' tire. trouhlc.

lily invention contemplates the employment o a c vlinflrica projection or bracket secured centrally of the ear at the rear thereof. this projection sorting to snppora spare wheel and, outside, of the wheel, a license hraeket. ln the. end of the cylindrieal projection l mount an electric light and close the. end ot the cylinder with a red l slit in the lower portion of the cylinder at the, end thereof provides for the projection ot a white light onto the license The. invention will be more reanily anderstood reference to the accompanying flrawin, wherein,

Figure l is an end elevation of an antomohile, equipped with my invention, and

Fifi. Q is a Vertical section` somewhat enlarge-fl. on the line @mit ot wir. l.

to the drawings, it will he seele that the automobile has secured to the rear end thereof a cylindrical projection or huh l0. rthis `forms a permanent part of the car and is commonly arranged at an angle to the horizontal in order to economize space and to insure that the weight et the Wheel will not ordinarily be exerted against the fastening devices which serve to retain the Wheel in place, As shown, the Wheel il is provided with a sleeve or cylindrical axial portion l2, which in practice tits over the permanent vehicle hoh. The spare Wheel ll if; held in place on the cylindrical projection l0 by means of a nut 13, having a groove r4 in one face thereof. This groove cooperates with the ring 15, Within which the u'heel spokes t6 are mounted.

A license bracket 17, is so constructed as to provide an opening of e. size suiticient to permit its being slipped on over the cylinder' 10 and abutted against the enter face el? 'the nut 1 3. A clamping not 18 is then applied to the threaded kouter end o the cylindrical projection l() to hold the bracket in place.

ln the hollow outer end et the cylindrical projection 10, l mount a lamp casing 19, having an electric light Q0 therein. Are-(l light 2l closes the end ot the larnpcasing, while a slit 2.2, provided in. the easingat its lover side, permits of the projection of a White light onto the license plate 23, which is secured to the bracket l?. lt will loe noted that the lamp casing is of a diameter' less than the outer end of the cylinder 10,.

and therefore that the clamping nut, the license, bracket and the spare Wheel may he removed without interfering with the light.

ln practice. the parts Will be assembled as shown. A. spare wheel is a partoi the equipment oi all antotmobiles which provide for the. replacement ot the Wheel. as a Whole in order to ettect tire changes. Therefore, there will at all times he a spare Wheel at theY rear of the machine. cessity for a tire change, the nuts 18 and 13 and the license bracketlt are removed, whercuponthe spare Wheel may be slipped ott of the cylindrical projection 10. `Y he snare wheel is then applied tothe car and the damaged tire is placed on the projection 10 sind the parts reassembled as shown. In none oi" the. operations has the red light been interfered with.

ll claim:

l. A. spare Wheel support for vehicle@ Assuming the neile-e comprising a stub shaft for connection at one end with a vehicle the exterior of said stub shaft being of a shape and dimensions to receive the hub of a spare wheel7 and means carried by the other end of the stub shaft for engagement with one end of the hub of .a sparc Wheel to hold the latter in place on the stub shaft. said means including a nut embracing and threaded upon said other end of the stub shaft, and a tail lamp carried by said other end of the stub shaft, the external transverse dimensions of the tail lamp being less than the bore of the nut whereby the latter and the spare Wheel may be applied to and removed from the stub shaft Without requiring removal of the tail. lamp.

:2. A spare Wheel support for vehicles comprising a stub shaft for connection at one end with a vehicle, the exterior of Said stub shaft being ot a shape and dimensions to receive the hub of a spare Wheel, means carried by the other end of the stub shaft to hold a spare Wheel in place on the stub shaft. said other end of the stub shaft lnivinggr a socket therein, and a tail lamp Within said socket whereby the spare Wheel may be applied and removed Without disturbing the lamp.

3. A spare Wheel support for vehicles comprising a stub shaft Afor connection at one end with a vehicle, the exterior ot said stub shaft being of a shape and dimensions to receive the hub of a spare Wheel. means carr'ed by the other end of the stub shaft holding a sparc Wheel in place on the stub shaft, and means for securing a license on said other end of the Stub shaft.

4. A sparc 1a'hcel support for vehicles comprising a stub .ait for connection al, one end with a vehicle, the exterior ot' said stub shaft being of a shape and dimensions to receive the' hub ot' a spare Wheel, means carried by the, other end of the stub shaft, to hold the spare lWlieel in piace on the stub shaft1 means for securing a license bracket on said other end of the stub sha 't outside ot' the means for holding the spare wheel in place, and a tail lamp carried by said other end of the :stub Shaft, said tail lamp and said license bracket securing means being disposed for illumination of a license by the tail lamp.

5. A spare Wheel support,V for vehicles comprising a tubular cylindrical stub shaft for connection at one end With a vehicle, the exterior of said stub shatt being of a shape and dimensions to receive the hub of a spare Wheel with its other end projecting externally ot' the hub7 said. end portion of the stub shaft being extcriorly threaded, a -pair ot nuts on said threaded portion of the Stub shaft, the inner nut constituting an adjustable abutment for engagement with the adjacent, end of the hub of a spare wheel, a license bracket embracing the threaded por tion of the stub shat and held between the nuts, and a tail lamp fitted Within said othei` end oi the .stub shaft and having its transverse dimensione lees than the bore ot' each nut. and said tail lamp having a lateral opening for illuiniimtinjba license carried by the license bracket.

6. In a device ot the class described7 the combination or fz wheel support in the torni of a tubular in el, vction from a vehicle` the interior of the projection being ar anged to accommodate a lamp, the tree end of the projection beine` shaped to receive a license bracket, and a manually operable holding de vice t'or retaining said wheel and bracketJ in place.

7. A snare wheel support for vehicles comprising a stub shalt for connection at one end with a vehicle. said stub Shaft,y having a n external seat ot a shane'and dimensions to receive the hub oll a spare wheel, a tail lamp carried by the outer end of the stnb shall and having' a location and dimensions lo permit oi the application and removal ot' a spare wheel acrossy and around the lan'ip, and means' carried by the stub shaft ior holding;- a snare Wheel thereon.

' Signed at (incanto` illinois, this 26th da)r oii tiejiember. 1916.

GEORGE lvl. iv'LlEi-l. lVitnesses 

